New copper flashing

Photos by Paul Nixdorf -
The roofing crew worked this week to install some new flashing.

I strolled around the building yesterday and spoke with Al, the site supervisor for the masonry company doing our work.  I took a few photos too, and have added some by Paul Nixdorf.  Al and his crew are working to match the new bricks to the old ones, something of a challenge in that one of the former brick colors is no longer made.  So you see a photo here of bricks lined up for color comparison.

Another twist:  Whereas the estimate of the number of bricks needed to repair the sign was 70,  the actual number was closer to 110.  That's because any damage to the back of the bricks cannot be seen until the work actually begins, and several bricks were cracked from the back and needed to be replaced as well.

Al has been doing this work for over 20 years.  He said that his next challenge was to figure out how to maneuver the "cherry picker" for the work on the main part of the south side of the building.   It is likely that the company will need to pull a permit to have the machine in the street for a while because it cannot get past the retaining wall around the yard.

Here are the photos:

The sign before bricks are inserted and mortared in place

Two views of the sign after brickwork is finished.   An acid wash is applied to help the new mortar blend in with the old.

Bricks lined up to match colors.

Working on the south transept peak on the 31st Street side of the building

Working at ground level

More ground level work.

More photos from Week Three

Photos courtesy of Paul Nixdorf.

Grinding out the old mortar in preparation for the new.

Placing the new mortar.

Almost finished.  An acid wash will be applied that will make this mortar blend in with the rest of the mortar on the building. 

Closeups of the mortar process.

Work on the steps

Weeks 2 and 3: New bricks, new mortar, and a few more holes

Thankfully the weather has been cooperative - and cooler - in the last two weeks.  If you walk around the building, you'll see that sections of bricks have been removed in preparation for installing new bricks with new mortar around them.
   A note about the timeline:   The windows will be worked on after the roof and bricks are finished. No need to have the windows exposed to all the construction dust!

New brick and mortar on the corner of the working sacristy

Work on the peak over the chancel window

New bricks and mortar, and new holes on the alley side of the nave, under the chancel window

Broken bricks and old mortar have been removed from the pillars of the sign on the corner of Chicago and 31st.

An enlarged view from the alley showing scaffolding.  The newer bricks of the Parish House are on the right.  Note the narrow chancel window on the left of the chimney.  This view shows the complexity of the structure in this section, with numerous valleys and joints, all places where water and ice can do damage.  Work is proceeding on the lower part of the chimney because as the contractor stated, they don't want to release that old rusty metal band at the top until they know that the bricks underneath it won't topple.  Good plan.

The cherry picker viewed from 31st Street outside the south transept.

There was a bit of a scare last week when the construction crew suspected that part of the roof deck (the wooden planks under the roof tiles) might be rotted away.   This would have added substantially to the cost and complexity of the project.   However, it was a false alarm.   Thank goodness!

A final thought:  Some Mount Olive people have inquired about making a donation toward the building project.   We are, of course, borrowing the funds to complete the work, but welcome donations to decrease the amount that we need to borrow, or to complete the loan payments sooner. Donations can be designation to the 2015 Renovation fund and sent to the office or put into the Sunday offering plate.  

Week 1

Equipment and workers on site - and working to beat the terrible heat and humidity.   We have saved some serious money by having a joint bid by the roofer and the masonry company, allowing them to share these expensive lifts.  Note that the brick sign in front of the building needs serious repair as well.

Here's the problem.....

Over time, we’ve seen growing signs of numerous leaks in the walls and roof. Worn out flashing and broken or missing roof slates, as well as cracks in the limestone “capstones” and masonry around the windows are to blame. Also, about 500 bricks around the exterior are damaged and must be replaced. In addition, the protective storm panes that cover our beloved stained glass windows are cracked or no longer provide a proper seal.

This summer these issues reached a critical stage. Water began visibly intruding into the structure with every significant rain. To avoid increased damage due to the onset of winter, we began work to make the repairs this past week, with the expectation that it will be completed by the end of October. 

Many in the congregation have viewed the photos that have been taken the old fashioned way - i.e., standing on the ground and pointing the camera upward.   But we've also used some new technology - a couple of drones that were able to get closer to the damage than a human could without scaffolding or a cherry-picker.  Below you see some of the photos of the damage that we are dealing with.  

Chimney has no "cap" to protect from incoming water, and several top runs of bricks have no mortar holding them together.

This damage is close to the ground in the alley.

Protective shield on large window is cracked and discolored.   Also note cracks in limestone "surrounds" of the window.

Cracks in the limestone capstone and broken and missing roof tiles.

White marks on the wall above the altar indicate "leaching" from the bricks due to water.  Not crack above the peak of the window.

More leaching above the altar.  We will not be able to fix this leaching until after a full heating season has passed and the bricks have been able to fully dry.  

About 500 bricks are cracked or have fallen apart (spalling) and need to be replaced.

This is a copper "saddle" that protects against water infiltration through the roof in the very vulnerable "valleys" where two parts of the roof come together (i.e., where the transepts join the main nave).  Many of these "saddles" are cracked or broken, and at least one is missing all together.  

Welcome to the Mount Olive Renovations 2015 blog!   These postings will enable you to keep current with the progress being made on the repairs to the roof, masonry and stained glass windows on our beloved church building at 31st and Chicago Avenue in Minneapolis.

The congregation has authorized the Vestry to take out a loan to cover the cost of this project, but if you are interested in donating to the project, you are welcome to do so.   Any funds that we can raise will help to offset the amount of the loan.  Donations may be designated to the 2015 Renovation Fund, and may be sent to the church office or put in the offering plate during Sunday liturgies.